When Max
Holloway withdrew from his featherweight title defense against
Frankie
Edgar, rumors began to circulate that the card could be
downgraded to a UFC Fight Night – or even canceled altogether.
However, some last-minute maneuvering by the Las Vegas-based
promotion allowed the event to maintain its original status.

A women’s featherweight championship bout between Cristiane
Justino and Yana
Kunitskaya will serve as the new UFC 222 headliner. Promotion
officials reportedly wanted to keep a title bout at the top of the
card if UFC 222 was to remain a pay-per-view offering.

Meanwhile, Edgar will stay on the card and face Brian
Ortega in the co-main event. The winner of the featherweight
contest will likely challenge Holloway for the title when the
Hawaiian returns to full health.
MMAFighting.com first reported the new matchups on
Wednesday.

UFC 222 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 3
and also includes a heavyweight tilt pitting Andrei
Arlovski against Stefan
Struve.

After claiming the vacant featherweight crown with a third-round
TKO of Tonya
Evinger at UFC 214, Justino made her first successful defense
with a five-round verdict over Holly Holm in
the UFC 219 headliner on Dec. 30. “Cyborg” had been rumored for a
title defense against reigning bantamweight queen Amanda
Nunes, but that bout has not yet come to fruition.

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Kunitskaya last appeared at
Invicta FC 25, where she captured the promotion’s 135-pound belt
with a five-round decision against Raquel Pa’aluhi on Aug. 31. The
28-year-old owns a 10-3 record with one no contest as a
professional.

Edgar posted back-to-back triumphs over Jeremy
Stephens and Yair
Rodriguez to put himself in position for a shot at Holloway’s
belt. “The Answer” has twice challenged for 145-pound gold, falling
to Jose
Aldo on both occasions.

Ortega is one of the promotion’s rising featherweight talents.
“T-City” earned his fifth straight triumph in the Octagon at UFC
Fight Night 123, as he submitted Cub Swanson
with a guillotine choke 3:22 into the second round of their
headlining bout on Dec. 9.